Prewashing portions of a car

[dschribs]

During washing, I always have a few areas on the car that usually need some special attention prior to the actual wash: front grill, emblems, inside the gas cap, spots where old wax may have accumulated (such as where the door handles attach to the door)



What product do you guys suggest to "pre-clean" these areas. Ideally something that would would well when agitated with a soft brush....



I have heard that P21S Total Auto wash works well but it`s not cheap.



Can I use (green) Meg`s APC? If so, at what dilution ratio?



Or - something else entirely. Any and all suggestions are welcome.



Thanks!!

[Don]

Are you planning on resealiing the areas you are prewashing? If not then just use a soft brush or a Q-tip with some carwash soap.

[Accumulator]

dschribs- This is on vehicles that`re getting truly detailed as opposed to merely washed, right? As in, you`re gonna re-LSP them at the very least.



I`d probably just do the whole thing with a "super shampoo" such as AutoInt/ValuGard`s "A" or FK1119, paying special attention to those problem areas.

[zaxjax]

I will generally use Chemical Guys Citrus Wash or No More Bugs wash



Both work great and are inexpensive



I really like Total Auto Wash, great stuff!!!

[Bunky]

I like Optimum Power Clean. The recommended dilution is 3:1 and is considered generally safe for paint like when doing fuel fillers, cowlings, jambs, etc. compared to some APC`s. I have some TAW but have not used it yet.

[Accumulator]

After David Fermani raved about how great it is, I used OPC in various dilutions (including undiluted :eek: ) on the Crown Vic, but that was a pretty extreme (i.e., sorry) case. VERY good stuff, but I somehow think of it as more for heavier duty use, more like a degreaser or something for undercarriages. Maybe I`m just being short-sighted about that :think:



I used to use *gallons* of TAW, but I finally decided it was a pricey product for an APC so now I pretty much reserve it for situtations where I want something potent that I can still *really* count on being safe. If it weren`t so expensive it`d possibly still be my #1 APC.

[Bill D]

Isn`t S100 Total Cycle Cleaner the same thing just like the S100/P21s wax?



If you price shop, you can get TCC for reasonably speaking decent price.

[dschribs]

Bill



That Total Cycle cleaner looks perfect! I would think it`s safe for paint no? Checked it out on Auto geek and it says safe for all parts of the bike so...



Is it the same as TAW? Price is certainly different (better)!!

[Bill D]

Give the clone track record of P21s and S100, I really wouldn`t be surprised if its the same. I only have used P21s so I cant confirm 100%